House of Horrors

Many microbes are enemies of humans and can cause disease. But there also many microbes that can attack other microbes.

Vampirococcus

This bacterium sucks the life juices (cytoplasm) out of another bacterium called Chromatium. Don't worry, it won't attack you.

Vampirococcus
This sphere shaped bacterium is much smaller than its prey.

The Invader:Bdellovibrio

An example of a microbe that attacks another microbe is the bacterium Bdellovibrio. This bacterium attacks other bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli).

The Strangler Fungus

Some bizarre fungi can strangle worms called Nematodes. These fungi capture the worms for food. These fungi make ring-like nooses from their hyphae to capture the worms. Once the nematode is trapped, the fungus penetrates it, eating it.